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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Nanoscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 8414

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Prof. Dr. Giovanna Iezzi

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Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; bone regeneration; bioengineering; biomedical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the functional properties and applications of nanomaterials in medical research, particularly their applications in molecular, cellular, and biological studies. Nanomaterials, due to their size, unique physical and chemical properties, have opened up new possibilities for medical applications, including drug delivery, imaging, and cancer therapy. This Issue contains articles describing various types of nanomaterials and their functional properties, such as their ability to pass through cell membranes, target specific cell types, and modulate gene expression.

Additionally, the use of nanomaterials in molecular diagnostics and monitoring has received extensive attention in recent years. Nanoparticles can be designed and synthesized to detect biomolecules, including nucleic acids and proteins, and to provide information on disease progression at the molecular level.

Furthermore, nanomaterials have great potential in cellular engineering and regeneration. They can be employed to stimulate cell growth, modulate cell behavior, and promote cellular regeneration, which can provide new methods for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This Issue also highlights the challenges associated with the use of nanomaterials in medical research, such as potential toxicity and environmental impact, and emphasized the need for continued efforts to optimize the functionality and safety of nanomaterials. Overall, this Issue shows how nanomaterials are revolutionizing medical research and providing new strategies for understanding and treating diseases at the molecular and cellular levels.

Potential Hot Topic:

Study of kinetic models of nanomaterials
Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles
Development of nanocarriers for drug release
Nanoparticle-based targeted drug delivery to cancer cells
Functionalized nanomaterials for targeted gene therapy
Nanomaterials for cellular imaging and tracking
Nanoparticle-mediated RNA delivery for cellular reprogramming
Nanoscale drug release systems for optimized therapeutic outcomes
Real-time monitoring of cellular dynamics using nanosensors
3D-printed nanomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering
Multimodal imaging using nanomaterials for integrated cellular analysis
Developing biocompatible nanomaterials for biological applications
Assessing the immunogenicity of nanomaterial-based therapies

We welcome the submission of original articles, reviews, and communications by experts in this field. This Special Issue is supervised by Prof. Giovanna Iezzi, who is assisted by our Topical Advisory Panel Member: Dr. Emira D’Amico and Dr. Tania Vanessa Pierfelice (University of Chieti-Pescara).

Prof. Dr. Giovanna Iezzi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nanomaterials
medical research
molecular imaging
cell signaling
cellular metabolism
tissue regeneration
biocompatibility
molecular biology
nanomedicine
functional nanomaterials
drug and gene delivery
tissue engineering
cancer therapy

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 7615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesized Chitosan Nanoparticles for Controlling Multidrug-Resistant mecA- and blaZ-Positive Staphylococcus aureus and aadA1-Positive Escherichia coli

by Aminur Rahman, Md Abdul Kafi, Geunyoung Beak, Sanjay Kumar Saha, Kumar Jyotirmoy Roy, Ahsan Habib, Tania Faruqe, Mahbubul Pratik Siddique, Md. Shafiqul Islam, Khandker Saadat Hossain and Jeong-Woo Choi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4746; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094746 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 433

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance has recently been considered an emerging catastrophe globally. The public health and environmental threats were aggravated by the injudicious use of antibiotics in animal farming, aquaculture, and croup fields, etc. Consequently, failure of antibiotic therapies is common because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in the environment. Thus, the reduction in antibiotic spillage in the environment could be an important step for overcoming this situation. Bear in mind, this research was focused on the green synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles (ChiNPs) using Citrus lemon (Assam lemon) extract as a cross-linker and application in controlling MDR bacteria to reduce the antibiotic spillage in that sector. For evaluating antibacterial activity, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were isolated from environmental specimens, and their multidrug-resistant pattern were identified both phenotypically by disk diffusion and genotypically by detecting methicillin- (mecA), penicillin- (blaZ), and streptomycin (aadA1)-resistance encoding genes. The inhibitory zone’s diameter was employed as a parameter for determining the antibacterial effect against MDR bacteria revealing 30 ± 0.4 mm, 34 ± 0.2 mm, and 36 ± 0.8 mm zones of inhibition against methicillin- (mecA) and penicillin (blaZ)-resistant S. aureus, and streptomycin (aadA1)-resistant E. coli, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration at 0.31 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration at 0.62 mg/mL of yielded ChiNPs were used as the broad-spectrum application against MDR bacteria. Finally, the biocompatibility of ChiNPs was confirmed by showing a negligible decrease in BHK-21 cell viability at doses less than 2 MIC, suggesting their potential for future application in antibiotic-free farming practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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29 pages, 3834 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cannabidiol-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Ameliorate the Inhibition of Proinflammatory Cytokines and Free Radicals in an In Vitro Inflammation-Induced Cell Model

by Khent Primo Alcantara, John Wilfred T. Malabanan, Nonthaneth Nalinratana, Worathat Thitikornpong, Pornchai Rojsitthisak and Pranee Rojsitthisak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4744; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25094744 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 342

Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound derived from Cannabis sativa. It has demonstrated promising effects in combating inflammation and holds potential as a treatment for the progression of chronic inflammation. However, the clinical application of CBD is limited due to its poor solubility and bioavailability. This study introduces an effective method for preparing CBD-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (CBD-SLNs) using a combination of low-energy hot homogenization and ultrasonication. We enhanced this process by employing statistical optimization with response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized CBD-SLN formulation utilizes glyceryl monostearate as the primary lipid component of the nanocarrier. The CBD-SLN formulation is screened as a potential tool for managing chronic inflammation. Stable, uniformly dispersed spherical nanoparticles with a size of 123 nm, a surface charge of −32.1 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 95.16%, and a drug loading of 2.36% were obtained. The CBD-SLNs exhibited sustained release properties, ensuring prolonged and controlled CBD delivery, which could potentially amplify its therapeutic effects. Additionally, we observed that CBD-SLNs significantly reduced both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and proinflammatory cytokines in chondrocyte and macrophage cell lines, with these inhibitory effects being more pronounced than those of free CBD. In conclusion, CBD-SLNs demonstrated superiority over free CBD, highlighting its potential as an effective delivery system for CBD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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26 pages, 10477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles with Bioactive Glass–Naproxen Coating: Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Evaluation of Bioactivity

by Thalita Marcolan Valverde, Viviane Martins Rebello dos Santos, Pedro Igor Macário Viana, Guilherme Mattos Jardim Costa, Alfredo Miranda de Goes, Lucas Resende Dutra Sousa, Viviane Flores Xavier, Paula Melo de Abreu Vieira, Daniel de Lima Silva, Rosana Zacarias Domingues, José Maria da Fonte Ferreira and Ângela Leão Andrade

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4270; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25084270 - 12 Apr 2024

Viewed by 413

Abstract

Immune response to biomaterials, which is intimately related to their surface properties, can produce chronic inflammation and fibrosis, leading to implant failure. This study investigated the development of magnetic nanoparticles coated with silica and incorporating the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen, aimed at multifunctional biomedical applications. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques that confirmed the presence of magnetite and the formation of a silica-rich bioactive glass (BG) layer. In vitro studies demonstrated that the nanoparticles exhibited bioactive properties, forming an apatite surface layer when immersed in simulated body fluid, and biocompatibility with bone cells, with good viability and alkaline phosphatase activity. Naproxen, either free or encapsulated, reduced nitric oxide production, an inflammatory marker, while the BG coating alone did not show anti-inflammatory effects in this study. Overall, the magnetic nanoparticles coated with BG and naproxen showed promise for biomedical applications, especially anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages and in the bone field, due to their biocompatibility, bioactivity, and osteogenic potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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17 pages, 9157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Cell-Engineered Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated to Quercetin Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-1 Entry

by James Elste, Sangeeta Kumari, Nilesh Sharma, Erendira Palomino Razo, Eisa Azhar, Feng Gao, Maria Cuevas Nunez, Wasim Anwar, John C. Mitchell, Vaibhav Tiwari and Shivendra Sahi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14792; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241914792 - 30 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1478

Abstract

Recent studies have revealed considerable promise in the antiviral properties of metal nanomaterials, specifically when biologically prepared. This study demonstrates for the first time the antiviral roles of the plant cell-engineered gold nanoparticles (pAuNPs) alone and when conjugated with quercetin (pAuNPsQ). We show here that the quercetin conjugated nanoparticles (pAuNPsQ) preferentially inhibit the cell entry of two medically important viruses—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) using different mechanisms. Interestingly, in the case of SARS-CoV-2, the pre-treatment of target cells with pAuNPsQ inhibited the viral entry, but the pre-treatment of the virus with pAuNPsQ did not affect viral entry into the host cell. In contrast, pAuNPsQ demonstrated effective blocking capabilities against HSV-1 entry, either during the pre-treatment of target cells or by inducing virus neutralization. In addition, pAuNPsQ also significantly affected HSV-1 replication, evidenced by the plaque-counting assay. In this study, we also tested the chemically synthesized gold nanoparticles (cAuNPs) of identical size and shape and observed comparable effects. The versatility of plant cell-based nanomaterial fabrication and its modification with bioactive compounds opens a new frontier in therapeutics, specifically in designing novel antiviral formulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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19 pages, 18813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Digestive System, Gonad Morphology, and Physiology of Butterfly Splitfin (Ameca splendens)

by Maciej Kamaszewski, Kacper Kawalski, Wiktoria Wiechetek, Hubert Szudrowicz, Jakub Martynow, Dobrochna Adamek-Urbańska, Bogumił Łosiewicz, Adrian Szczepański, Patryk Bujarski, Justyna Frankowska-Łukawska, Aleksander Chwaściński and Ercüment Aksakal

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14598; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241914598 - 27 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1047

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the morphology and enzymatic activity of butterfly splitfin (Ameca splendens). Individuals of both sexes, aged about five months, were exposed to AgNPs at concentrations of 0 (control group), 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/dm³ for 42 days. On the last day of the experiment, the fish were euthanized, subjected to standard histological processing (anterior intestine, liver, and gonads), and analysed for digestive enzyme activity in the anterior intestine and oxidative stress markers in the liver. Fish in the AgNP 0.01 and 0.1 groups had the lowest anterior intestinal fold and enterocyte height. However, there were no statistically significant changes in the digestive enzyme activity in the anterior intestine. Analysis of enzymatic activity in the liver showed an increase in superoxide dismutase activity in fish in the AgNP 0.1 group. Histological analyses showed that AgNPs inhibited meiotic divisions at prophase I in a non-linear manner in ovaries and testes. In the AgNP 0.1 and 1.0 groups, the area occupied by spermatocytes was lower compared to the other groups. These results indicate that exposure to AgNPs may lead to disturbances in morphology and enzymatic activity in the liver and intestine and may lead to disruption of reproduction in populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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25 pages, 5093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Protect Cortical Astrocytes from Oxygen–Glucose Deprivation through Activation of the Ca²⁺ Signaling System

by Elena G. Varlamova, Alexey S. Baryshev, Sergey V. Gudkov, Valentina A. Babenko, Egor Y. Plotnikov and Egor A. Turovsky

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14305; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms241814305 - 19 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

Most of the works aimed at studying the cytoprotective properties of nanocerium are usually focused on the mechanisms of regulation of the redox status in cells while the complex effects of nanocerium on calcium homeostasis, the expression of pro-apoptotic and protective proteins are generally overlooked. There is a problem of a strong dependence of the effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles on their size, method of preparation and origin, which significantly limits their use in medicine. In this study, using the methods of molecular biology, immunocytochemistry, fluorescence microscopy and inhibitory analysis, the cytoprotective effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation on cultured astrocytes of the cerebral cortex under oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and reoxygenation (ischemia-like conditions) are shown. The concentration effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles on ROS production by astrocytes in an acute experiment and the effects of cell pre-incubation with nanocerium on ROS production under OGD conditions were studied. The dose dependence for nanocerium protection of cortical astrocytes from a global increase in calcium ions during oxygen–glucose deprivation and cell death were demonstrated. The concentration range of cerium oxide nanoparticles at which they have a pro-oxidant effect on cells has been identified. The effect of nanocerium concentrations on astrocyte preconditioning, accompanied by increased expression of protective proteins and limited ROS production induced by oxygen–glucose deprivation, has been investigated. In particular, a correlation was found between an increase in the concentration of cytosolic calcium under the action of nanocerium and the suppression of cell death. As a result, the positive and negative effects of nanocerium under oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation in astrocytes were revealed at the molecular level. Nanocerium was found to act as a “double-edged sword” and to have a strictly defined concentration therapeutic “window”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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Review

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25 pages, 3076 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Clay Substrate Molecular Interactions in Some Dairy Technology Applications

by Abdelkrim Azzouz, Vasilica Alisa Arus and Nicoleta Platon

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 808; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms25020808 - 09 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1191

Abstract

The use of clay materials in dairy technology requires a multidisciplinary approach that allows correlating clay efficiency in the targeted application to its interactions with milk components. For profitability reasons, natural clays and clay minerals can be used as low-cost and harmless food-compatible materials for improving key processes such as fermentation and coagulation. Under chemical stability conditions, clay materials can act as adsorbents, since anionic clay minerals such as hydrotalcite already showed effectiveness in the continuous removal of lactic acid via in situ anion exchange during fermentation and ex situ regeneration by ozone. Raw and modified bentonites and smectites have also been used as adsorbents in aflatoxin retention and as acidic species in milk acidification and coagulation. Aflatoxins and organophilic milk components, particularly non-charged caseins around their isoelectric points, are expected to display high affinity towards high silica regions on the clay surface. Here, clay interactions with milk components are key factors that govern adsorption and surface physicochemical processes. Knowledge about these interactions and changes in clay behavior according to the pH and chemical composition of the liquid media and, more importantly, clay chemical stability is an essential requirement for understanding process improvements in dairy technology, both upstream and downstream of milk production. The present paper provides a comprehensive review with deep analysis and synthesis of the main findings of studies in this area. This may be greatly useful for mastering milk processing efficiency and envisaging new prospects in dairy technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research of Nanomaterials in Molecular Science)

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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Planned Paper I: Evaluation and improvement of antioxidant activity of pretreatment lignin nanoparticles-Dr. Li(Submission date to be determined)

Planned Paper II: Solvothermal synthesis of PVP encapsulated, amine-functionalized Copper-ferrite and its use as an MRI contrast agent- Dr. Laszlo Frogach, Dr. Domokos Máthé, Dr. Krisztián Szigeti and Dr. Fatemeh Heydari

Planned Paper III: Nanoscale Sensors for the Rapid Detection of Organophosphates - Dr. Sherine O. Obare

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